Ballot-box.



No. 742,009. I l PATLNTLD 00T. 2o, '1903.-

M. L. CRAM.

BALLOT B0X.

` APPLIOATLON FILED JUNE 13, 190s. No MODEL. 5' 2 SHEETSSHLLT- 1A.

w? f77 @Mm Y JM @Hanne/13 V No. 742,009. PATBNTED 00T. 20, 1903.

M. L. CRAM.

BALLOT BOX.

APPLICATION FILED .TNE 13. 1903. N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1%.?. n @Mm No. 742,009, i

'rvrrn l raras Patented October 20, 1963.

.WENT Genion.

sALLo'i-sox'- ,SPECIFICATLCN forming part of ALettersPatent No.

742.009, dated october 2o, 1903.

Application filed June 18, 1903. Serial No. 161.340. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAURroE L. CRAM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Charlevoix, in the county of Charlevoix and State of Michigan, have made a certain new and useful` Invention in'Ballot-Boxes; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as'will enable others skilledfin the art to which it apportains to make and use the invention, reference being had Ato the accompanying drawings, and to characters of refe; thereon, which form a part o.A this specification.

Figure l is a perspective view of my ballotbox. Fig. 2 is the cover removed and partlyin section. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. .'lfr. 4.

is a detail perspective View ofthe ciawe. b. o Fig. 5 is a detail' View of the guard-partition 6, showing its view-openings and the hopper-s 1l. Fig. 6 is a detail viewillustrating a slide,

to close an opening in the drawer b.

- lihe invention has relation to ballot-boxes,

f 5 chiey designed for the use of lodges, clubs,

andsocieties; anditconsists in the novel con- `struction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, the letter o, designates a box or oase, which is usually provided with a handie. 'n the lower part of the box is provided a 'slide or drawer h, in which are compartments c and d, which are separated from each other in such wise that the ballot-balls which may fall into one compartment cannot get from that one into the other compartment. For this purpose a partition e is provided be tween the compartments. The compartments may be lined with softinaterial, ifdesircd, in order to prevent noise from the falling of a ballot-ball. instead of one slide wth'compertinents two drawers, side by side, maybe need: The lower back portion of the box con- 5 Ataining the slide or drawer is separated from the upper 'nach portion by means oa partition j', 'which' is designed. to extend in 1" rout of a vertical partition, g sufiiciently to forni' a ledge h, below which is a recess or recesses for the o reception or" the keys k, the ends or heads of which project f rom. their slidevrays abovcsaid' lodge, as indicated at l. One of these keys one marked a plan view of the same with shouldhave its head colored white, the other black, or other colors may be used, they being,

however, different for the two keys. The keys are preferably removable. Each key is designed when in its slideway to engage an arm of an angle-lever m, to the other arm of which is connected arod n., whichis attached to a transverse leverp, which is pivoted tothe partition fand is heid in rearward position by its'f'spring s. 'lo the movable end of this transverse lever is connected a springpawl t, which engages-a ratchet-disk/u, jonrnaled to Said partition. Aspring-stop w is also provided in connection with Each ratchet-.disk is provided with a series of apertures 3, which are of proper size each to receive one of the ballot-balls, and as these apertures are arranged in circular series radially equidistant from the pivotal pointof the disk each of them will pass over an aperture e through the partitionf in such wise as to fall into the compartment below. AboveA each disk is ahopper 4, connected tothe framing and serving to receive a quantity of baleaoh ratchet-disk.

lot-balls, the hoppers being, however, closed at their upper ends by means of metal covers 5, so that the balls in one hopper cannot 'get therefrom into Athe other hopper. The twin disks, keys, hoppers, and covers are laterally arranged with reference to each other, and the cover of the disk which is in engagement with the angle-lever 4of the black key should be colored black, the other cover being colcred white. When the black balls are placed in the hopper corresponding to the black key and the white balls iu the hopper corresponding to the white key, the cover being closed and the compartments ofthe slide in the lower portion of the box being empty, the machine is ready .for operation.

In voting a white or election ball the `vhite key is pressed down with the finger. This operates the lover mechanism to turn the corresponding disk one step, as each ratchettooth is sufficiently long to include in its radial scopo one of the apertures 3, and as this movement is made one of these apertures will come into registration with the througl1- aperture or passage to the corresponding compartment below, into which the ballot-hall will fall. The through aperture or passage is arranged nndcr a guard-partition G of tho IOO frame, and the disk is also segmentally below said guard, so that no ball from the hopper can pass into and through thc aperture or passage .a until the disk is set in operation by means of the key.

The front of the box is usually provided with a sight and hand openingr at 7 for purposes of inspection and to reach the heads of the keys. v A

The segmental portion of each disk which passes under the guard G is designed to be visible from the lfront, a view-opening being provided at S for the purpose. \Vhen so arranged, the `person votingr can see the tnrning of the disk bringing his ballot-ball'to the passage .2' and droppinibr it into the compartment below. Any mistake in handlingr the keys or in filling the hoppers with a mixture of black and white balls will therefore be easily noticed and readily remedied. Should it be desired, the upward inclined faces of the view-openings S may be provided with reflecting-surfaces in order to` render more easily visible the exposed segmental portions of the disks and the ballot-balls carried thereby.

This ballot-box is of simple and durable construction and its mechanism is of littlev complexity and easily kept in order. The keys are removable and in order to avoid casual manipulation may be taken out of the slideivays when .the bok is not in use. y

In order to facilitate replacing,r balk in the hoppers, a small opening maybe made 1n .the

' end ofthe"drawerb,'si1ch openingbeing closed by a slide. (See Fig. 6.)

- Having described this invention, what I claim, and desire ro'seeure by Letters Patent,

l. In a ballot-box, the combination of an apcrtured disk having ratchet-teeth, a springpaivl and stop for said disk, and operating;r

means for said disk having a reciprocatory key Working,r in a plane at right angles to that of said ratchotdisk,substantially as specified.

In a ballot-box, the combination of an aperiured horizontal ratchetdisk, a spring-pawl and stop for said disk, a vertically-reciprocatory key for operating said disk, and lever mechanism connecting said key and pawl,sub stantially as specified. A

15. In a ballotbox, the combination with a ball-carrying disk, having a circular series ol apertures, and corresponding ratehet-teetb, of a partition under said disk, said partition being provided with a passage adapted to register with any one of said apertures and above said passage a segmentguard, snbstai'itially as specified.

i. In a ballot-box, the combination with a ball-eariyingrI disk, having a circular series of apertures, and corresponding ratchet-teeth, of a hopper above said disk, a partition under said disk, said partition being provided with a passage adapted to register with any one oi" said apertures, and above said passage a-sega y'ment-guard, substantially as specified.

5. In aballot-box, the combination with the ball-carrying disks having circular series ct apertures and corresponding ratcjietteeth, of hoppers above said disks, a partition under said disks, said partition being provided With passages adapted to register respectively with any one of said apertures, a segment-guard above said passages, and a compartment slide or drawer under said partition, substantially as specified.

In-'estimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. p

l MAURICE Il. CRAM. \Vitnesscs: WM. H. CoLLiNs,

Vault lil. Vtfmennn. 

